what about a predictive algorithm for those low res pictures, a mathematical equation to help the computer guess whats between the dots, like extrapilation of information based on the sourrounding pixels.

Asking him whether he uses competitors' technology is a rather snarky and pointless thing to do. It seems little more than a passive-agressive way to imply his products are inferior.

I quite disagree, and I really wonder where you get the passive agressive tactics from. Using ohter vendors products shows quite the opposite from a single minded view, like you nearly impose on Microsoft employees ( the interview subject or othervise). From
a programmers perspective ( as one of the stanford professors are knows of telling storys about Bill Gates hacking around in assembly at the uni) one uses the best tool for the job.
And he is also a Windows user like the rest of us, so its quite likely that he has used and perhaps are still using, other vendors products.

BryanF wrote:

A more interesting question would be to ask where he feels Microsoft still needs to catch up to competitors...

.

Why should that be more intersting ?? Dont you think that question answers itself?? Competition in the software industry is firece and it allways will be.

1. When I right click location finder in the notification area and select help, the Microsoft Location Finder Help file, are placed right over the current window in IE, forcing users to use the back button.
It would be more practical to open a new window for the help file.

2. The auto run feature (automatically run location finder when I log on to windows), are located under the settings option.
I think it would be easier if you just placed an auto run menu item that the user could check/uncheck

'Twas the year before Longhorn, when all through the land
Not a demo was given, not even one canned;
The windows were stacked on each edge with such care
In hopes that some user soon would be there;

The coders were nestled all snug by their desks,
While visions of ship-parties danced in their heads;
And Chris with his pixels, and I with my SOAP,
Had just failed to integrate despite our best hope,
When out from the build lab there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my desk as working sets grew fatter.

The queries against my old data did hang,
And XAML-based markup from each window rang,
The startup time of our new OS must be fixed
As it seems as if running a 286

When, what to my wondering eyes should they see,
But a leadership team, with eight tiny VP,
With a little old driver, so lively and trim,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Jim.

More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;
"Now, William! now, Eric! now, BrianV and Jonesey!
On, BobMu! on PaulFle, on, Soma and JoePE!
To the tech previews march! to the betas install!
Now ship away! ship away! ship away all!"

As bug counts that before the testers they fly
When they meet with a DCR, mount to the sky,
So up to the ship date the VPs they flew,
With the Windows so shiney, and St. Jim was too.

And then, with a reorg, there came such a hum,
The prancing and pawing of each newly coined PUM.
As I checked in my code, and was running my suites,
A new ship date, St. Jim, says we all now must meet.

He had scenarios, experiences, and use cases few,
For the home user, aye, but MBAs too;
A bundle of features he had thrown off the list,
Just the basics, my boy, lest our ship date get missed.

His eyes -- how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
And SteveB was pleased with our revenues less airy!
With heads down we code on our features now prime
To WinFS, yes, but perhaps not this time.
With St. Jim now confident with this release,
The rank and file coders may now code in peace.
As VPs now focus on Blackcomb and beyond,
Of Longhorn, St. Jim, remains oh so fond.
And I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Longhorn to all, and to all a good-night."

Desktop Search is just a prelude for future search technology.
Some of the code base actually goes back to the Kairo days, and they have now combined it in this package.
Its a company strategy to get this stuff out, show customers that Microsoft are investing in search for the desktop, and that Windows are and will be, the most productive os for home users and corporate enviroments.

There is a huge amount of stuff that just wait in the horizon, and MSN desktop sarch is a base building block in this effort.

i'd also request win 2003 server support for msn desktop search. win2003 server is a fine client desktop os if you get to use it for free by your uni. i always think by myself that there's got to be a way to install it on win 2003 .. those mcse's would
fingure that out in a minute... right? +g+